Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Chabrier, Paraphrase sur un air de Gounod, Faust, Act 2
2. Borodine (valse)
3. 1. Modéré
4. 2. Mouvement de menuet
5. 3. Animé
6. Noctuelles
7. Oiseaux tristes
8. Une Barque sur l'océan
9. Alborada del gracioso
10. La vallée des cloches
11. Pavane de la belle au bois dormant
12. Petit poucet
13. Laideronette, imperatrice des Pagodes
14. Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête
15. Le jardin féerique

Disc 2:

1. Prélude
2. Fugue
3. Forlane
4. Rigaudon
5. Menuet
6. Toccata
7. Ondine
8. Le gibet
9. Scarbo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #560199 in Music
• Released on: 2001-01-01
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Import

Customer Reviews

Gripping Readings Of Compelling Music
Casadeus is the ideal interpreter of Ravel: the tone is warm, luminous, the sense of internal space within the phrase enormous, particularly in the selections from "Gaspard" and in the "Sonatine". His account of the Left-Hand Concerto is majestic, almost terrifying in its intensity. Much of this release is mastered from less than ideal source material, but that is of little consequence: the playing shines through.

In its day, late 50's, acceptable
You had basically to choose from Giesekings wonderful 50's set, poor record quality, or this Casadesus. I found Casadesus did not live up to all the reviews surrounding his name, either in Debussy or Ravel.
Look at my reviews of Ravel's magnificent solo piano works, the finestest ever penned in traditional classical form (I prefer Ravel much much more over Chopin) pianists such as Rouvier/Calliope, Bavouzet/MDG, Roge/Decca, Tharaud/Harmoni Mundi. These 4 alone will convince you that Ravel indeed did penned the greatest writing as far as classical traditional form.
"How preposterious the thought!"
Well you do not own any of the above mentioned cds. You will have a revelation when you do hear those 4.
Nice Day
Paul, eternal fan of Ravel
Baton Rouge

My Grandteacher plays too FAST,etc...
Robert Casadeseus' recording was the one I grew up on. I believe I have now outgrown it. The tempos are all too fast. I have seen customer reviews of Mr Entremont's set make this very same complaint, only to reccommend Mr Casadeseus instead.
If you like the melody, buy Vlado Perlmutter's Nimbus set. If you want modern panache and sweet studio sound, buy Jean-Ives Thibeaudet on London.
If you want precison and absolute, faithful clarity, consider Desire' N'Kaaou, the last living student of M. Long, on the Solstice label.
Paschal Roge's set, also on London, is an interpretive and thoughtful disc. Abbey Simon is, along with Mr. Casadeseus, the least musical and over-interpreted. His playing is not too fast, but too mannered.
Mr Casadeseus is to be heard racing through lots of other repertoire on video and CD. My teacher, Leo Steffens, claimed his technique was flawed and unorthodox. Well, he can sure go quickly, but it is the effect the speed has on the flow and substance of the compositions which is most bothersome.
Happy Ravel listening to all comers, new, old, and may we all listen to M. Ravel enough to have our own opinions and favorites
MBB